


The Cupboard Under the Stairs

by 100SleeplessNights



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Draco is a great husband basically, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Married Couple, Married Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-06 23:12:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14658198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/100SleeplessNights/pseuds/100SleeplessNights
Summary: Sometimes Harry can't sleep next to Draco in his bed so instead he curls up in the cupboard they have under the stairs.





	The Cupboard Under the Stairs

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on Tumblr as a celebration when I reached 500 followers and I decided it's time I put it on here as well.

Harry hates the cupboard they have under the stairs, despises it, in fact. But sometimes it’s the only thing keeping him sane, because sometimes, in the middle of the night after a nightmare, the master bedroom feels too big instead of comfortable and roomy, and he feels like he doesn’t deserve his handsome husband, the beautiful house they live in and the life they built together.

Tonight is one of those nights, so Harry checks three times to make sure Draco really is fast asleep before he gets up, trying his best to jostle the mattress as little as possible. Then he walks downstairs, carefully avoiding all the creaking steps and floorboards, and curls up on the small mattress Draco put into the cupboard after he found Harry there for the first time.

Like every time he lies down in the cupboard Harry has no trouble falling asleep but when he wakes up the next morning he feels disoriented. That itself isn’t surprising, it also happens almost every time but usually because this cupboard looks very different from the one he more or less grew up in and not because he expected to wake up next to Draco in their bed.

To combat his disorientation – and because nights in the cupboard are never as restful as nights spent in Draco’s arms – Harry decides to go back to their bedroom and curl up next to Draco, who surely isn’t awake, yet, for another hour or two.

However, his plan is cut short when he opens the door of the cupboard and finds Draco sleeping on a mattress right in front of it. He smiles fondly at him and slowly lies down next to him, once again careful not to jostle the mattress too much. The last thing he wants is for Draco to wake up a second time because of him.

Either Harry isn’t very successful with that or Draco was already awake because when Harry lies down next to him Draco turns around and says, “Good morning, my love.”

Harry’s face lights up with a smile even though he feels guilty for waking Draco.

“Good morning to you, too, my love,” he says and tucks his head into the crook of Draco’s neck. “I was hoping we could sleep some more.”

Draco smiles at him and kisses his forehead. “I’m not tired anymore but feel free to use me as your pillow. And stop feeling guilty for waking me, I’ve been awake for a while already.”

“I still woke you up in the middle of the night,” Harry argued.

“Harry,” Draco says, his voice soft but not patronizing. “I’ve said it before and I will say it again. We’ve been sleeping in the same bed for five years now and we’ve been married for the last two. I haven’t ever complained about you waking me up in the middle of the night and I won’t start now. Now go back to sleep. If you really want to, we will talk about this again when you’re properly awake.”

Harry sighs. He can’t argue with Draco’s logic, at least not now when he’s still tired and already half-asleep again so he takes Draco up on his offer and closes his eyes again to catch another hour of sleep, this time with Draco’s arms instead of the confining walls of the cupboard around him.

 

The next time Harry wakes up it is to the feeling of Draco’s fingers carding through his hair and it is without a doubt a much better way to wake up than alone and disoriented in the cupboard. In the hand that isn’t playing with Harry’s hair Draco is holding the latest Potions Journal which he is currently engrossed in so for a few minutes he doesn’t notice or acknowledge Harry’s waking up, but Harry doesn’t mind that in the least. He loves just being close to Draco and looking at him. Knowing Draco is still there with him when he could be anywhere else and be much more productive is enough to make him feel warm and loved right now.

“Good morning again,” Draco says after he put the journal aside. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, very well. How long was I asleep for?”

Draco shrugs with the shoulder Harry isn’t lying on. “About an hour I think. I didn’t check the time.”

“It was a very relaxing hour,” Harry says and stretches as much as possible in the position he is lying in. “Definitely better than sleeping in the cupboard.”

“That’s good. I noticed you’ve spent a lot of nights down here in the last weeks.”

Harry tenses. Draco sounds worried but that worry can easily shift into anger or maybe disappointment once he finds out what Harry has kept from him.

“Did something happen? Or is there maybe some fucked up anniversary coming up that I don’t know about?” Draco asks gently.

“There is something,” Harry admits, watching Draco’s face for some kind of negative reaction but Draco’s expression stays gentle. “My… cousin invited me, or rather us, to his wedding.”

Draco is silent for several seconds but then he says, “What?” Harry already wants to repeat himself when Draco continues. “Why would he think that’s an even remotely good idea?”

Harry shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. He never tried to contact me before. Maybe his soon-to-be wife encouraged him.”

“Have you decided whether you want to go, yet?” Draco asks in a tone that tells Harry he at least suspects already what Harry decided.

“Yes,” Harry says. He can feel a blush spreading on his face. “I want to go. Would you… come with me?”

Draco smiles at him. “Of course, I will come with you. I’ll always be with you as long as you want me to.”

 

The next morning Harry wakes up in the comfort of his own bed when the sun is already high in the sky, feeling relaxed and more rested than he has in weeks.

“Good morning, love,” Draco says next to him, surprising Harry. He didn’t expect Draco to still be in bed as well, but he really appreciates it.

“Good morning.” Harry stretches and presses a short kiss to Draco’s lips. “Any reason why you’re still in bed?”

Draco shrugs. “I wanted to keep you company. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, very. That tends to happen when I have you to cuddle with,” Harry says and cuddles even closer to Draco. “I think…” he hesitates, not sure how to phrase his request. “Remember when we first moved here, and you offered to find an alternative solution for the cupboard when I flinched the first time I passed it?”

“Of course, I do,” Draco says and ruffles Harry’s hair affectionately. “And my offer still stands.”

“I think I want to take you up on that offer now,” Harry says and hides his face in Draco’s chest, so he can’t see him blush.

“All right. We’ll go to the hardware store this afternoon, then,” Draco says and kisses Harry’s forehead.

Harry looks at Draco in wonder. This is the second time in less than twenty-four hours that Draco, who usually keeps his distance from anything that look even remotely Muggle, offers to go somewhere Muggle with him – or rather, for him – and the way it makes him feel loved and at the same time so full of love is almost overwhelming.

“Thank you,” Harry says even though it doesn’t seem adequate because he can’t think of a phrase that does. He hopes Draco can still understand how much it means to him.

“You’re welcome,” Draco says, and Harry can hear all the worry and care, the affection and love and most of all, the desire to protect in his words. It means Draco has understood him perfectly well, so he doesn’t even try to fight the bright smile spreading on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments keep me motivated.
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: [@asexual-lovegood](http://asexual-lovegood.tumblr.com/)


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